As I’m trying to write about how I’m not a type A mom, I think I figured out I’m closer to A than I thought. I’d love to say I live in the moment and and super go with the flow, but I find myself not always being okay with that. I have 4 kids in 4 different after school activities, and a husband who is currently MIA while he’s working on his MBA. At this time in my life, I need to have my time scheduled.
I would love to say that I just go with the flow and just roll with the punches that each day brings, but if I said I lived my life like that I would be lying.
I love routines and a schedule. I like the comfort that it brings. Especially in the morning. Every morning I wake up, get myself together in a certain order, and then wake up the kids in a certain order. If my husband happens to be running late and starts messing with my order or the kids order, I just throw my hands up, and know I’m going to either run late or forget something at home. With all the different after school activities, we need the routine of knowing what happens after school, and what kind of dinner I need to plan. I have certain nights that I plan something for the crock-pot vs. a meal I cook that night. Knowing the schedule allows me to make sure school projects are done, make sure we have time to read together at night, and give each kid a few min of individual attention. About the only change in a weekday schedule I like is the one where something gets canceled, and I get to go just go home and be with my people.
I’d love to say I’m as organized as this sounds, but I think that’s where the Type B part of me takes over. I’m not one of those people that has a place for everything. The main part of my house stays picked up, or as picked up as a house with 4 kids, 4 cats, and 2 dogs can get. Past the main living area of the house only gets tackled in small spurts. I have over 7,000 emails in my personal gmail account, I might have a slight online shopping problem. I just scroll through, and check what I need to check. It would take a great deal of effort to delete all that mess. I even turned off the badge on my phone so I wouldn’t even have to see how behind I am on deleting all those emails. My desk at work has papers All OVER IT, but I know what they are. I do have lovely little file organizers on my desk, but they get used about only half the time. I love naps. I am totally fine with skipping an afternoon full of sweeping and mopping, for a glorious nap with all my kids snuggled up in my bed, watching a movie. Things in my house don’t have to be cleaned a certain way. My kids load the dishwasher, and I don’t rearrange things behind them. My kids put away their own clothes. I show them how it’s supposed to work, but I’m not going to clean up behind them. I’m easy going about vacations. We make a plan, but keep it open enough to explore something spontaneous. I’m not a perfectionist, things don’t have to have their special place, I make mistakes all the time, and I don’t always have to win-unless I’m against my husband. All these things I’m totally cool with.
I was intent on writing about how type B mom I am, but only find out I’m half and half maybe? I love routines, but I’m not too rigid that I freak out when things get totally out of order. Maybe I’m secretly a type A mom that’s in survival mode. Who knows. My kids are happy and healthy, and it’s working for our family.
